Method of Assessment:

Essay 30% due Apr 4; no late penalty if handed in by Apr 8 (last day of class) by 11:59PM

Final exam 30% during exam period

Attendance and Participation

A substantial portion of the course material will be delivered during class discussions and lectures. Attendance and participation are very important to learning the course material.

Weekly quizzes

The weekly quiz for week one is due on the Monday of week two. Weekly quizzes for all dates for weeks 2-12 of the course are due by the start of each Monday class. Each quiz asks for your thoughts on the weekly response question. Responses must be of sufficient depth and length, and must demonstrate engagement with the readings for marks to be awarded. Each quiz is worth 1 percent out of 10 percent in the course allocated to online participation. Late quizzes will not be accepted. It is possible to achieve bonus marks by answering more than 10 quizzes.

Short Assignments

The short assignment will be based on readings and in-class instruction. Instructions will be given in class.

Essay

Students will write an essay on a topic provided by the instructor. The essay should be 6 pages long, double-spaced and typed, formatted using MLA, and must include a bibliography. It should incorporate concepts discussed in the course and the course readings, as well as outside research.

Final exam

The final exam will be based on all material covered in the lectures, required readings, and class discussions. It will take place during the exam period.

Submission Process

All work must be submitted via the Avenue to Learn (http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/) drop box by the deadline, or as per the instructions given in class. Assignments due after the last day of class must be submitted via the Avenue to Learn drop box unless other arrangements have been made with the instructor. Assignments handed in to a different location will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made. Do not drop off assignments in the CMST office. Emailed assignments will not be accepted. Always maintain electronic or other back-up copies of whatever you submit.

Policy on Missed Work, Extensions, and Late Penalties:

Weekly response questions are due at the start of each class. They may not be submitted late.

Other late assignments will be penalized at the rate of 5% per day (including weekends and holidays) unless alternate arrangements have been made in advance.

Please Note the Following Policies and Statements:

Academic Dishonesty

You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity.

Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, located at www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.

Improper collaboration in group work.

Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

Email correspondence policy

It is the policy of the Faculty of Humanities that all email communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students to staff, must originate from each student’s own McMaster University email account. This policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. Instructors will delete emails that do not originate from a McMaster email account.

Modification of course outlines

The University reserves the right to change dates and/or deadlines etc. for any or all courses in the case of an emergency situation or labour disruption or civil unrest/disobedience, etc. If a modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with an explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. Any significant changes should be made in consultation with the Department Chair.

McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF)

In the event of an absence for medical or other reasons, students should review and follow the Academic Regulation in the Undergraduate Calendar Requests for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work. Please note these regulations have changed beginning Fall 2015. You can find information at mcmaster.ca/msaf/. If you have any questions about the MSAF, please contact your Associate Dean's office.

Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities

Students who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a Program Coordinator. Academic accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Student Accessibility Services can be contacted by phone 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail sas@mcmaster.ca. For further information, consult McMaster University's Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities.

Students requiring academic accommodation based on religion and spiritual observances should follow the procedures set out in the Course Calendar or by their respective Faculty. In most cases, the student should contact his or her professor or academic advisor as soon as possible to arrange accommodations for classes, assignments, tests and examinations that might be affected by a religious holiday or spiritual observance.

Topics and Readings:

The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

Response Question: Is technology taking us in the right direction, when it comes to copyright? What is the right direction when it comes to copyright enforcement in the digital environment? How should, and how shouldn’t, copyright be enforced online?

Optional: You can view the longer original article upon which the above article is based here:

Story, Alan. “Burn Berne: Why the Leading International Copyright Convention Must be Repealed”.Houston Law Review, 40 (3): 763-803. ISSN 0018-6694. Available online at http://kar.kent.ac.uk/251/1/storyg3r.pdf

Response Question: Is the international copyright system fair? Why or why not?

Response Question: Describe a scenario you have encountered, or might encounter, where you were creating or using a copyright work. What did this week’s readings say that would help to guide you through this situation?

WEEK 6: Feb 11 & 14 Patents

Kratz, Martin. Canada’s Intellectual Property Law in a Nutshell. pp. 201-232 (first part of Chapter 12).

Response Question: As Blaiwais and Miller ask in this week’s reading: “Should trademark laws encompass curtailing freedom of speech in the hopes of preventing the dehumanization and objectification of certain groups of people? Is the regulation of the offensive nature of trademarks feasible given the inevitable evolution of language and society’s perception thereof?” Do you agree or disagree with their assessment? Explain.

Other Course Information:

Online Component

In this course we will be using Avenue to Learn (http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/). Students should be aware that, when they access the electronic components of this course, private information such as first and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in this course will be deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about such disclosure please discuss this with the course instructor.

Academic Integrity

You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity.

Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.

2. Improper collaboration in group work.

3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

In this course we will be using a web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal plagiarism. Students will be expected to submit their work electronically to Turnitin.com so that it can be checked for academic dishonesty. Students who do not wish to submit their work to Turnitin.com must still submit a copy to the instructor. No penalty will be assigned to a student who does not submit work to Turnitin.com. All submitted work is subject to normal verification that standards of academic integrity have been upheld (e.g., on-line search, etc.). To see the Turnitin.com Policy, please go to www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity